Last steam workings; line by line.

['CHARD]

Pretty obvious what the intentions are here, but it's possibly worth a few points of extra focus. 

 

Most steam finished as diagrams were caped or turned over to replacement diesel or MU traction.  I say most, because there were usually rogue workings covering for failures, non-availability or in some cases diversions.  Many lines or local networks closed with steam reigning supreme, and as such they're not really my focus in posing the question in the topic description, unless the line in question was a late steam-only survivor like the S&D or Port Road.

 

I don't want to have reams on the 15 Guinea special, that working to me generates an unpleasant taste. Like many bashers before me, I'm no devotee of buffer-stop kissers and railtours. To me that's all a bit Safari Park. There's a place for freight line itineraries, and heaven knows we owe a debt of gratitude to such tours in the sixties for providing rare line travel and photographic opportunities, but I'm looking for the real, gritty, last revenue earning or other operating visit to lines by steam traction before diesel took over. 

 

Example: the Waverley route. 

Steam facilities in Scotland had been eliminated or suspended for some time when 70022 (TORNADO) deputised for a failed Type 2 Sulzer on a 2S52 Carlisle - Edinburgh semi-fast in November 1967, a month before the closure of Kingmoor, and withdrawal.  The penultimate northbound working was sister 70011 (HOTSPUR), on a freight, earlier the same month.

 

Example: the Strathmore, Aberdeen - Glasgow '3-hour expresses.'

Was the last steam through the Stanley - Kinnaber section before closure actually an A4?  If so, which one and when?  Can we be sure a Black Five didn't potter about later on a freight?

 

Example: the Perth 'Direct.'

Glenfarg closed as a through route in 1970, a self-inflicted body-blow by Scottish Region.  But what was the last steam service to work through this picturesque link line?  And did it pre- or post-date the Strathmore closure?  The answer seems obvious, but is it?  I don't know.

 

 

There are hundreds of lines to go at.  My personal favourites are:

• Waverley route and branches
• Perth Direct
• Strathmore
• Peak main line
• Stratford - Cheltenham
• Rugby - Peterborough
• Port Road
• Moray Coast
• Sutton Park
• Aston - Lichfield
• Walsall - Lichfield
• Snow Hill - Wolverhampton LL

I'm confident every interested party will have their own chosen routes.  Bring them on, let's get the juices flowing, chuck some logic and research about, link to photographic and other web-based resources, let's chart the relentless retreat of those fantastic, neglected machines.

 

[APOLLO]

Last day of Steam at Wigan Springs Branch, around Nov 1967 (Don't know exact date, perhaps someone will know). Dad took the photo, on a Sunday for the local Wigan Observer newspaper. Sorry, no names known, though The Boss is easily recognised !!

 

 

This is a young Apollo aged 15.  The only time I "did the branch" with permission !!

 

 

Now I can't help very much with last dates steam hauled / traversed X-Y or A-B, but I have quite a few photos that I will add to my photo link (below). Thought the above would be of interest. My brother worked on the Railway at this time (S&T then Civil Engineering dept at Liverpool), and we both had quite a few trips seeking steam hauled trains back then. I have the logs of those runs, though by no means are they very comprehensive, just the loco that hauled us from A-B on that day. The locos were run down back then, I remember a trip to Leeds back on 27/12/1966 (exactly 47 years ago today MY GOD  ). DMU's to Leeds, and black 5 44824 Leeds- Manchester on a holiday relief, steam leaking everywhere, coach lighting & heating not working, left Leeds on time & over 40 mins late into Manchester. - Happy times !!!

 

Here is the leaky old girl.

 

 

Brit15

Edited December 27, 2013 by APOLLO

[pH]

From WAC Smith's "Renfrewshire's Last Days of Steam":

 

The last steam train out of Wemyss Bay ran on 26 February 1966, behind Stanier 5 44878.

The last steam train from Gourock was the 17.03 on Friday 28 April 1967, behind Fairburn tank 42274. This was also the last passenger train hauled by a Scottish Region steam locomotive.  

[coachmann]

The last steam loco I saw on the North Wales mainline was while I was driving for MacAlpines in latish 1967 during construction of the Abergele Bye-Pass road. It was an ex-Crosti-boiler 2-10-0 but it doesn't mean it was the very last, as I had lost interest in BR some years area. Maybe friend Merf Jones of this parrish has fuller details.

[pH]

Example: the Strathmore, Aberdeen - Glasgow '3-hour expresses.'

Was the last steam through the Stanley - Kinnaber section before closure actually an A4?  If so, which one and when?  Can we be sure a Black Five didn't potter about later on a freight?

If you restrict the question to BR-owned steam engines (which is what I think you mean), then definitely there were others travelled this route after the withdrawal of the last A4s from BR service.  As an example, here`s a picture of the engines used on the Grand Scottish Tour in March 1967 between Perth and Aberdeen via Forfar - http://www.flickr.com/photos/73028271@N02/8150769401/in/photolist-dqfPLV-byki8A-ecYypN-c3aAPS-fgUJd3-bsL4Tp-8bGw3d-8zhjED-coKhxs-coKitE-9c9r6N-g5u7nc-g5u6x6-g5toPe-g5tmKK-g5tvt7-cwRPib-cwRQ7G-du4pdG-dtXPiZ-dtXP5R-dtXPBr-9Mrerd-9MopmZ-9MosMT-9MrfeJ-ejkJxz-9c6TX2-9c6Uj2-aPbZYV-aPc4Fi-aPc8yx-9c9Z1Y-9c9Zmb-9c6UxM-9c6Vt6-9c6W1n-8vPLV7-cjewqS-cjet4m-9jVkuj-9fUC7L-bejcSV-hzN34e-hzN2ut-bejkSp-bejizi-9fRa93-9fRbK5-a3Ys3d-a3VAsn . By this time, 60009 was privately-owned.

 

Since Aberdeen Ferryhill and Perth still had a few Stanier 5s after the last A4s were withdrawn, it`s likely 44997 wasn`t the only one to work between Stanley Junction and Kinnaber Junction.  

[robmcg]

In the spirit of the last steam workings in the real world, I just by co-incidence finished this pic just now of Standard 4MT 75005 in end-of-steam era condition..   so much seen, and often photographed, but NEVER seen these days.  I haven't researched where or when this particular engine last worked, but I know that many like her eked-out their last days looking like this, well-liked by crews, and cut up unceremoniously when beyond repair.

 

I hope this is not too far wide of the intent of the thread, apologies if so.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2013 by robmcg

['CHARD]

If you restrict the question to BR-owned steam engines (which is what I think you mean), then definitely there were others travelled this route after the withdrawal of the last A4s from BR service.  As an example, here`s a picture of the engines used on the Grand Scottish Tour in March 1967 between Perth and Aberdeen via Forfar.

 

Since Aberdeen Ferryhill and Perth still had a few Stanier 5s after the last A4s were withdrawn, it`s likely 44997 wasn`t the only one to work between Stanley Junction and Kinnaber Junction.  

 

I had no idea Perth (63A) survived until May '67.  I somehow bought into the myth that it was only a handful of Dunfermline and Thornton engines that lingered into that summer.

[George91]

My local line, Preston-Liverpool, saw the last steam passenger working of them all, the Liverpool portion of a Glasgow express on the evening of Saturday 3rd August 1968. 

[jrg1]

Anyone have any records of final workings in Lincolnshire?  I have B1s working in from the Sheffield direction in 1966

[roythebus]

I've got some 8mm cine of the last week of the famous Kenny Belle some where in my collection.

[L49]

Don't forget the last steam working from Moorgate to Neasden behind L94 on the 6th June 1971, and a photo has turned up on Flickr of L90 and L94 at Lillie Bridge depot dated 1st July 1971. Whether this is a dating error I don't know, but if it is not, then it would appear that the pair made a final trip from Neasden to Lillie Bridge sometime after the official 'end of steam'.

[jonny777]

Anyone have any records of final workings in Lincolnshire?  I have B1s working in from the Sheffield direction in 1966

 

I have seen a photo of what purports to be the last Nottingham to Skegness SO steam working on Aug 1st 1966. I don't remember seeing it, but could well have been on holiday with my parents that week. I can't remember where I saw the photo, but it may have been for sale on Ebay. 

 

The last steam loco that I saw at Nottingham Midland was on 1st November 1966 and was 44941 on a goods train heading towards Colwick. This may not have been the last one, but steam was rare by then.

 

While the class 114s and a few 105s took over all the local Lincolnshire services in the late 1950s, that was not the last time steam worked the Grantham to Boston stopping trains. In the coldest weeks of January 1963, steam returned on these services for maybe ten days or so.

 

The trains had Flying Pigs on the front, and were formed of old non vestibule carriages of various vintage, that looked as if they had been stored in a siding for many years. The carriage windows were completely iced up, and there was steam leaking from the heating pipes along the train. Three carriages seemed to be the norm, but I only saw them in the early mornings, as I was at school most of the time.

[jonny777]

Pretty obvious what the intentions are here, but it's possibly worth a few points of extra focus. 

 

Most steam finished as diagrams were caped or turned over to replacement diesel or MU traction.  I say most, because there were usually rogue workings covering for failures, non-availability or in some cases diversions.  Many lines or local networks closed with steam reigning supreme, and as such they're not really my focus in posing the question in the topic description, unless the line in question was a late steam-only survivor like the S&D or Port Road.

 

I don't want to have reams on the 15 Guinea special, that working to me generates an unpleasant taste. Like many bashers before me, I'm no devotee of buffer-stop kissers and railtours. To me that's all a bit Safari Park. There's a place for freight line itineraries, and heaven knows we owe a debt of gratitude to such tours in the sixties for providing rare line travel and photographic opportunities, but I'm looking for the real, gritty, last revenue earning or other operating visit to lines by steam traction before diesel took over. 

 

 

 

This is an excellent question, and a database of the best we can do would be a great source of information to modellers of that period.

 

I have looked through a few contemporary magazines of the era, and found a number of snippets:-

 

The last steam service *out* of Paddington was said to have been 7029 on a special train to Cheltenham via Swindon, Bristol and Gloucester  (27th Nov 1965) but there are reports of steam locomotives being added to diesel hauled trains following failure of the steam heating boilers.

 

On 22nd January 1966 D1923 and 44760 arrived at Paddington on the up Cambrian Coast Express, and on the same day a service from Birmingham arrived behind D1686 and 45436. 

 

 

The last steam loco at Cheltenham St James appears to have been 7808 which was shunting the goods yard on 31st Dec 1965. The station closed the next day 1st Jan 1966, and the last train had D1901 as power, so unless an interloper nipped in and out during the morning, 7808 is a pretty safe bet for that section.

 

 

 

The last recorded working on a scheduled Cleethorpes to Doncaster service was 61035 on the 4th February 1966.  On the 28th February 1966, 61024 left Scunthorpe on what appears to be the last steam hauled goods from there to Healey Mills, but whether this was the last steam working over any of the route between those two places is doubtful.

 

I have yet to discover the last steam working through Grantham, although I suspect it must have been recorded somewhere.

[jonny777]

The last Edinburgh to Lanark stopping service was hauled by 61347 on April 18th 1966.

 

The last train on the Silloth branch was worked by 43139 on September 6th 1964.

 

The last steam workings from both Glasgow St Enoch and Queen Street appear much harder to pin down. With the former, it seems that occasional steam locos appeared right up until closure; and despite steam being banned from the latter by early 1966, a few B1s appeared after the ban, on foot-ex trains.

 

However, the last St Enoch to Kilbride passenger service was worked by 80121; the last recorded St. Enoch to Kilmarnock via Barrhead had 44992 in charge; and the final recorded St. Enoch to Kilmarnock via Dalry was headed by 45214; all on April 15th 1966.

[Russell Saxton]

I've been trying to discover the last regular steam workings along the Erewash Valley and also in Nottingham and Derby.
Last I can find for the Erewash is Dec 1966 but I'm sure there were a few into 1967.
45284 appeared at Nottingham Midland in either July or Aug1967.

[Mad McCann]

It's a matter of record that the last A4-hauled special left Buchanan St on 3/9/66, but there were still two months of operation left for the station and indeed 65B. I'd be interested to know what steam turns remained between Buchanan St and points east during that period and what, if any, definite final dates we have.

 

Dave.

[edcayton]

In the spirit of the last steam workings in the real world, I just by co-incidence finished this pic just now of Standard 4MT 75005 in end-of-steam era condition..   so much seen, and often photographed, but NEVER seen these days.  I haven't researched where or when this particular engine last worked, but I know that many like her eked-out their last days looking like this, well-liked by crews, and cut up unceremoniously when beyond repair.

 

I hope this is not too far wide of the intent of the thread, apologies if so.

 

BR_4MT_75005_Hattons_12ab_r1200.jpg

 

Are you sure that would have had the early crest Rob?

 

We moved to Dumfries in the summer of 1965, just up the road from Maxwelltown station on the Port Road. There was a rail-served oil depot in the goods yard.

Wiki says the line closed in August, certainly I never saw passenger trains. There was still freight-long trains of vans to ICI at Cargenbridge, and what I presume now to be demolition trains. I did see one steam loco. Dad told me it was a "mogul"; I'm pretty sure it wasn't a crab, but I don't know if it was a Standard or an Ivatt class4.

 

Ed

[Mad McCann]

Are you sure that would have had the early crest Rob?

 

We moved to Dumfries in the summer of 1965, just up the road from Maxwelltown station on the Port Road. There was a rail-served oil depot in the goods yard.

Wiki says the line closed in August, certainly I never saw passenger trains. There was still freight-long trains of vans to ICI at Cargenbridge, and what I presume now to be demolition trains. I did see one steam loco. Dad told me it was a "mogul"; I'm pretty sure it wasn't a crab, but I don't know if it was a Standard or an Ivatt class4.

 

Ed

Likely Dumfries' 76073, which probably hung around on local trip and goods work. Given that Port Rd traffic ceased in June and Dumfries closed to steam in October '66 (I think), there would be little work beyond the ICI/Metal Box jobs, apart probably from Demolition of the Kirkcudbright branch and singling of the 'main'!to Castle Douglas perhaps.

 

Dave.

[phil_sutters]

When you say 'late' steam only lines like the S&D -1966 - how late or early do you mean? Is Cheddar in 1963 late enough or too early - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/75442-lmsr-2-6-2t-41245-gwr-collett-0-6-0-3218-cheddar-1963jpg/

or Bristol to Frome 1959 http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/75426-fr08-060pt-6912-at-radstock-last-day-of-passengers-31-10-1959/

I can of course give you a last day of revenue service for the S&D - http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/gallery/image/76413-sdf02-sdjr-final-passenger-day-41249-dep-bason-bridge-for-tcombe-5-3-66-b/

[Phil Bullock]

In the spirit of the last steam workings in the real world, I just by co-incidence finished this pic just now of Standard 4MT 75005 in end-of-steam era condition..   so much seen, and often photographed, but NEVER seen these days.  I haven't researched where or when this particular engine last worked, but I know that many like her eked-out their last days looking like this, well-liked by crews, and cut up unceremoniously when beyond repair.

 

I hope this is not too far wide of the intent of the thread, apologies if so.

 

BR_4MT_75005_Hattons_12ab_r1200.jpg

 

Let me solve that one for you Rob

 

75005 finished up as an 85A engine and was withdrawn in September 1965 following an accident at Leamington

 

The end of steam at Worcester is pretty well documented...see http://www.miac.org.uk/worcs1965.html

 

Kind regards

 

Phil

[adb968008]

SPRINGS BRANCH MPD LAST DAY OF STEAM 1967 (626x800).jpg

 

I'm guessing this is 76084 ? (It had the extra warning flash on the right side, now replicated on the restored loco, with its lower Darwen allocation painted in the buffer beam?), it was the only one of the Darwen 5, such embellished. Edited October 17, 2016 by adb968008

[rockershovel]

I'd be particularly interested in last steam from Kings X, as I have memories of going there with my late father (died 1962) and seeing steam.

 

Also, steam suburban services in the Islington/Hackney area. We lived then, near the now-closed Mildmay Park station (North London line) which spanned a cutting running approximately N-S; I seem to remember steam in this cutting but may be mistaken

Edited October 17, 2016 by rockershovel

[phil_sutters]

I'd be particularly interested in last steam from Kings X, as I have memories of going there with my late father (died 1962) and seeing steam.

 

Also, steam suburban services in the Islington/Hackney area. We lived then, near the now-closed Mildmay Park station (North London line) which spanned a cutting running approximately N-S; I seem to remember steam in this cutting but may be mistaken

Dad took very few photos in the London area, but one that may fit your time frame and fits the remit of this thread - sort of - is this one

 

[Trev52A]

I'm resurrecting this excellent thread in the hope of finding out the last steam workings over Shap. With the wealth of knowledge among readers to this site, the information must be out there.

 

With the closure of Kingmoor and Tebay sheds to steam at the end of 1967, through workings to/from Carlisle also ceased that year, didn't they? (Unless someone knows different - please come forward.)

But 8Fs (in particular) from Carnforth still climbed Shap from the south with traffic for the quarry and cement works just past the summit, I seem to remember reading somewhere. Any ideas which locos and when the last one ran, anybody?

 

While we are at Shap, did anyone photograph the Clayton diesels in action on banking duties from Tebay from 1st January 1968?

 

Thanks in advance

Trevor

[Antony Jenkinson]

Trevor,

Hello!

In response to your queries posted on the 18.10:-

Just an hour after you asked the question on here Ken Barnes posted two photographs of a Clayton diesel banking a diesel hauled train at Scout Green on the 'WNXX Forum' web site - have alook in the 'Question and Answer' part of that forum - the last post on the bottom of page 1. This topic has been discussed at length by some members of the Cumbian Railways Association chatline recently with no conclusive proof until now that it actually happened!

I am a member of the group and colleagues are planning an article for our Journal to commemerate 50 years since the end of mainline steam - without previewing the contents of the article too much I can tell you that one of the main contributors, Ken Harper, worked in one of the Penrith signal boxes in 1968 and has records of 10 occasions that steam locomotives were seen at work when he was on shift during 1968! - That total excludes no.70013 working 'light engine' south from Carlisle on the 09.01.1968 - (to it's new home at Carnforth?) and no.4498 working north 'light engine' on 31.07.1968 (to it's new home in the north east?) Excluding the sighting of no.4498 Ken's last sighting of a steam locomotive working past Penrith was no.45231 working a ballast train on 17.06.1968 - all his other notes are for before the end of March. (Ken's records are only from when he was at work so it is likely that there were more occasions).

Thankyou for posting your pictures and memories of the end of steam working in the north east - they were most interesting and very enjoyable - as were the 'Brownie 127' pictures - what an excellent shot of no. 46244!

I am guessing that it is your article in David Hey's marvellous railway website detailing your trips to Carlisle and on the west coast main line over Shap and on to Lancaster during summer 1967 when you were photographing and travelling on the last regular steam hauled passenger trains over the route; thanks for the excellent description of that last summer and the great pictures too.

Best Regards  Tony